Automobile license tag



Jan. 5 1926. 1,568,192

D. A. SMITH ET AL. AuTombBnE momsm we Filed Jan. 9. 1923 @MMMMS v INVENTORS Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

UNITED STATES.

Y aseaiaz PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL A. SMITH AND JOHN M. DAVIDSON, OF XENIA, OHIO.

AUTOMOBILE LICENSE TAG.

Application filed January 9, 1923. Serial No. 611,610.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DANIEL A; SMITH and JOHN M. DAVIDSON, both citizens of the United States, residing at Xenia, in the county of Greene and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Automobile License Tag, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in automobile license tags, our primary purpose being to make such license tags more legible. It is well known that the present illegibility of such tags is a constant screen for carelessness and crime. Especially at night, when such tags as are at present in use are, by their nature, insufficiently illuminated, usually by a slanting light from the top or side, it is often impossible to read the symbols upon the tag even at a distance of ten or fifteen feet. Also, at present, it is practically impossible to distinguish thecolors of such tags at night. In the daytime the tags often become so covered with mud that the symbols are obliterated. The objects of our invention are, first, to provide a tag for attaching to automobiles which shall give greater legibility to the license symbols thereon at all times, both by day and by night; second, to provide means for differentiating the license symbols of different States by the use of colors which are dis tinguishable by night as well as by day; third, to increase the strength of such tags by providing structural improvements, and, fourth, to provide for economy in manu facture.

It will become apparent as our invention is disclosed, that the word, tag, as here used, should be held to include more than the idea of a mere sheet of material upon which symbols have been displayed. The functioning of a tag of this nature depends upon the use of color and of a means for diffusing light, as well as upon the use of symbols displayed upon a sheet of material. In this description, therefore, the word, tag, should be regarded as denoting the above mentioned elements.

In the drawings, similar parts being similarly lettered,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved license without the symbol bearing plate inserted.

F 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and looking in the directio nof the arrows.

Figure 3 is an end view of the casing showing the slot for the insertion of the symbol bearing plate and the retaining clip Fig. 4 is a front elevation of'a tag face used in combination with the reflector shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a front elevation of another form of the tag; Fig. 6 is an end view thereof.

Referring to the drawings, we have shown a casing having a curved surface 1, forming the'back and side walls, and constituting a reflector as will hereinafter appear. The front of said casing is comprised of a flat surface 2, having a large opening 3, adapted to receive a plate 4 containing license symbols 5 perforated therein. The front of the casing is provided with a stop 6 to limit the movement of the plate 4, and a catch or clip 7 of bendable material at one end of the casing retains the plate 4 in position in the casing. A lamp is placed in said casing, as shown at 8, behind the surface 2. One end wall of the casing 1 isprovided with a slot 9, through which the plate a is inserted. The casing 1 also has depending portions 10, forming with the front surface 2, a guideway for the plate 4. In Figs. 5 and 6 we have shown the symbol bearing plate 11 adapted to have a translucent sheet of material 12 held in uXta-position with the rear face of the tag by means of clips 13 and 1 t. WVith this form of tag, the light may be placed immediately back of the symbol bearing plate. y

In order to distinguish the tags of one State easily from the tags of another State, different colors are usually employed in the printing of the symbols upon the face of the tag. This practice is open to the objection that such colors are rarely, if ever, distinguishable at night. With our invention, this objection is overcome by illuminating the tag, the interior surface of which will project a light tinged with the desired color. To this end, the entire inner surface of the re Hector 1 is finished with a neutral colored light hue, such as white enamel, or a polish integral with the sheet metal. The rear surface of the symbol bearing plate is coated with a brilliant color, such as one of the primary or secondary colors, or any color, other than a neutral. .Vhen the interior of the reflector box is illuminated, the reflection from the colored inner surface of the symbol bearing plate is thrown back upon the white, or polished portion of the refleeting surface, and thence out through the perforated symbols, and the light thus thrown through the license symbols is*sufficiently tinged with'the'color upon the rear of the symbol bearing plate as to distinguish it clearly from that of any color tag not similarly treated. This arrangement of color permits the use of a standard reflector box in combination with a symbol bearing tag plate, the colors of which may be changed from year to year, as the various be held to include any changes, substitutions,

and alterations inthe article so long as such variations conform in scope and principle to the invention here described.

\Ve are aware that some features herein described can be used independently of others of this invention without loss of efficacy.

lVe claim:

tion with a license number plate adopted to close the opening in front of the reflector,

the license number consisting of symbols perforated through the body of an opaque sheet of metal, the rear faceof the sheet of material being coated with a brilliant, non- DOHtItll color, the said reflector and symbol carrying shee being separable, and means upon the reflector for permitting the symbol carrying sheet to be attached and held in position in front of the reflector, all for the purpose specified.

2. In a light reflector the combination with a reflector proper having a curved rear surface and an opening in front, with a slot in one end wall, of a license plate adapted to be inserted th'ro-uglrsaid slot. andto cover the open 'portioirof the reflector, said plate being perforated with license symbols, and a colored surface of a brilliant; non-neutral hue between the outer surface of the license sheet and the curved rear surface of the reflector.

In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names.

D. A. SMITH. JOHN M. DAVIDSON. 

